Something you'll look back on in years to come, long after the video has been lost and the photos have faded. We want you to experience, learn and enjoy the very best that African wildlife viewing can offer. To achieve this goal To achieve this goal, the staff at SHAMWARI Game Reserve have brought together the best that the area has to offer. There is great game viewing, of course, but we also provide modern Land Rovers converted into open viewing. Each vehicle has a trained ranger who will increase your enjoyment with his knowledge of both the flora and fauna. The rangers are in 2-way communication with each other at all times, so on any day they know where the game is, and how to find the elusive animals such as the rare Black Rhino.

Game viewing is carried out morning and evening on game drives, when you are driven in your open vehicle (which seats up to 6) over the rolling hills and valleys. If you have a particular species you would like to see, please mention it to your ranger; he will be happy to merge your plans into the group. In the early morning (if you are keen) you will leave before dawn, spending up to 3-4 hours spotting before returning to your lodge for a hearty breakfast. Blankets are supplied for those cold morning starts!

The heat of the day is usually spent in the shade, playing tennis, swimming, reading and, of course, enjoying a delicious lunch. Between 4:00 - 5:00pm, you assemble again for the evening drive. As the animals emerge from their midday cover, you may see elephants browsing, rhino drinking at a waterhole, or perhaps the shy bushbuck motionless in the dense bushveld. At dusk, the Land Rover stops at some panoramic spot for a sundowner (from the icebox ) and snacks.

Then, as the light fades, your ranger will plug in a powerful hand-held light. With its help, you can sweep the veld, seeing first the eyes and then the forms of a variety of nocturnal animals. By 8:00pm you are back at your lodge where a drink in the bar with your ranger, amid cheerful recollections of the day's discoveries is followed either by another great meal expertly prepared by our chefs, or a barbecue next to a roaring fire. Finally, a hot shower and a well-earned sleep. Before repeating it again the next day!

Generally, you may not leave your vehicle when it is in the reserve. Guided walks can be arranged in the company of your armed ranger, in search of rare animals. These hikes can often be the highlight of your African trip, for it is really only then that you gain a perspective of this great continent.

Note: Game drives are done in open Land Rovers, so you can feel close to Nature.

Prices are subject to change without prior notice. Retail products for sale.

Shamwari has recently set aside 16 % of their land, over 3,000 hectares (7,500 acres) as a wilderness area and are offering a 4 day wilderness trail programme. Four-day wilderness trails are run where two nights are spent in the bush with the first and last nights in the base camp. Your trail will be limited to 8 participants.

What makes the trail remarkable beyond a journey into these rare places is the sensitive and careful guidance by experienced guides who know and love the bush. You are not required to have sleeping bags, backpacks, camping equipment or extensive hiking experience. An all-inclusive trail fee covers all camping equipment, food, and transport from the base facility where you will spend your first night. Physical fitness and strength are not the focus of the trail. In the relaxed intimacy of a trail limited to 8, the wilderness brings out the best in everybody - including mutual responsibility for collecting water, firewood and keeping night watch. Camping is kept simple in open bush.

Shamwari operates their wilderness trails with a concern for minimum impact. The only lasting impression left by a wilderness trail is the experience itself. And it is likely to be indelible. As the founder of the SA Wilderness movement, Dr Ian Player, has said many times, "(Wilderness) presents us with a blue print, as it were, of what creation was about in the beginning, when all the plants and trees and animals were magnetic, fresh from the hands of whatever created them". Shamwari welcomes you and looks forward to providing you with a memorable trail experience.